I'll Be Strong For You
by IzumiGuardian
Summary: Hitsuagaya is expecting a visit from a certain substitute, but when Ichigo arrives, Hitsugaya realised something is very wrong with him. Contains a very ill Ichigo. Established relationship. One-shot. Rated K... Just complete fluff.


**Just a little HitsuIchi one-shot, because I got bored. No flamming please :) Reviews and constructive critisism appreciated**

**ENJOY :)**

* * *

It was the dead of night, and only on light remained on. The snow crowned captain working dilligently as ever, slaving over the mountains of paperwork that had been neglected by his vice-captain. The only sound that broke the serene silence was the muffled scratching of a calligraphy brush on parchment paper. The frosty captain set down his brush and leaned back in his chair, a petite hand scrubbing over his face. The tiny captain was exhausted, however, his motivation was more than enough to keep him going through the small hours of the morning: tomorrow, Ichigo would be coming. The thought of seeing his firey lover put a small, fleeting smile on the captain's weary face. Opening his eyes, Hitsugaya picked up his brush again, determined to finish his (Matsumoto's) paperwork, in order to have a day, unperturbed by work, with his beloved.

With renewed resolve, Hitsugaya picked up the next piece of paper and started to fill it out...

* * *

'-tain? Captain? Wake up, Captain?' teal eyes blearily cracked open, blinked a few times - uncharacteristically confused - before realising where he was. He had fallen asleep at his desk - again. A sense of pride filled the captain as he looked at the pile of finished paperwork. Too many times had Ichigo visited him, only to be stuck in the Tenth Division office, watching the snowy captain do his paperwork - not today. Though it may not be much, this was Hitsugaya's way of showing how much the firey teen meant to him; and Ichigo knew this. Sometimes it astounded the frosty captain just how perceptive the substitute could be. The teen was the only one who was able to read the subtle signs the prodigy gave off, and he always knew how to react to them.

'Captain? Were you up all night doing paperwork?'

'_Your _paperwork, Matsumoto...'

'Captain, honestly! There's a reason that _I_ don't do paperwork. It's so bad for you!' Hitsugaya gave her a look mixed between incredulousness and amusment. He smirked and rolled his eyes at his vice-captain's antics - some things would never change.

Teal eyes widened and snapped to the door as he felt a familiar presence heading his way.

'Captain, isn't that Ichigo's spiritual pressure?'

'Yes, Matusmoto. Here...' he said, holding a pile of completed paperwork in front of his lieutenant 'Get these to the first division.'

His vice-captain looked perplexed. Was her captain really giving her permission to leave the office. Surely he knew that he wouldn't see her for the rest of the - oooh... The penny finally dropped. Matsumoto flashed her captain a cheeky grin.

'Of course, Captain...' and just because she could 'Have_ fun_ with Ichigo.' With a wink, she flashed stepped out of the office, but not before seeing the china white cheeks blush a furious red.

'Matsumoto...' the snow crowned boy seethed. He took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair, eyelids sliding over the teal orbs. The captain could feel himself relaxing as he felt his lover getting closer. In a few seconds, he would be in the arms of his orange haired idiot, breathing in his autumnal scent. This thought had a warm sensation spreading through the frosty boy's body, a contented smile adorning his face.

'Toshiro...' The firey teen's voice resonated throughout the office. Teal eyes snapped open, frantically searching for this beloved, only to widen when he found him.

Ichigo looked awful.

He was sweaty and pale, with grey bags under his eyes. The chocolate eyes that the captain adored, had lost their spark. There was a not-so-subtle shake to all of the teen's movements, and he needed to cling to the doorframe just to keep himself upright. In a flash, the snow crowned boy was beside him, slipping an arm around the taller's waist, in an attempt to steady him. The tiny captain gently nudged his lover inside the office, closing the door behind him. He lead the ill man to the sofa in his office, softly setting him down on it. He knelt down in front of his lover, taking the two shaking and clammy hands in his own.

'Ichigo... Are you alright?' even the captain was shocked at how much concern came through in his voice. The normally firey teen tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace.

'Yeah, I'm fine... Just got a bug that's going round.'

Teal eyes swirled with a mixture of distress and affection.

'You idiot. Why did you come if you were sick?'

'It's 'cus I promised...' The simplicity of the answer momentarily stunned the captain, before a soft smile flitted across his features. Only Ichigo would put himself through something like this, for such a trivial reason. What an idiot...

The captain stood and walked to the office door, locking it - afterall, Ichigo was a man with pride on par to his. He wouldn't want anyone seeing him in this state. The snowy boy then went to a small cupboard, searching for a blanket which would aid his lovers shivering. Opening the cabinet, Hitsugaya inwardly cursed. His lieutenant had put the blanket on the top shelf, making it impossible to reach.

The redhead had been watching his beloved's movements through hazy vision. Seeing his predicament, Ichigo tried to get up and aid his frosty lover. He stood up and managed to take a few steps before stumbling, his vision swimming. He felt his gut do a somersault, as nausea rushed through him. He vaguely remembered the wood of the office floor rising up to greet him, when everything went black

* * *

While contemplating how to get the blanket down, whilst retaining his dignity, the snow crowned captain heard shuffling from behind him. The frost boy whipped around to see his lover stumbling forward. Teal eyes widened when he saw his beloved's body go completely slack, sending him tumbling to the ground.

'ICHIGO!' he cried, diving forward to catch the substitute. He pulled the unconcious man into his chest just before the orange mop of hair came into contact with the unforgiving floor. His lover's dead weight was too much for the small boy and he fell to the floor, cradling his lover as he was knocked over. Hitsugaya sat up, quickly recovering from the tumble, and gently lifted the larger man to his chest.

A pale hand came up to cup the pallid cheek, tilting the man's head back so that the frosty captain could look at him. Ichigo's unconcious face was contorted in pain, sweat dotting his forehead. Hitsugaya softly kissed his distressed lover, trying to comfort him.

'Ichigo...' he said, gently patting his cheek 'Wake up... Please, Ichigo.'

After a few seconds, the captain managed to elicit a moan from his lover. Chocolate eyes cracked open, with great effort, looking pained and anguished. The frosty captain's brows furrowed in worry. Normally, Ichigo would be very careful not to put his weight on the snow crowned boy for fear of suffocating him - something Hitsugaya reprimanded him for, deeming it an unneseccary concern. So when Ichigo looked up at him, sighed then rested his head in the crook of the captain's neck, Hitsugaya knew there was something really wrong with his lover. However, he didn't have time to ponder this for long, as tension abruptly took over the subsititute body, chocolate eyes scrunching shut.

'Ichigo?!' the frosty captain said, alarmed. 'What's wrong?!'

He felt the orange crowned man's body convulse, and his quick mind rapidly put two and two together. Tightening his hold on his lover, Hitsugaya quickly flash-stepped to the small bathroom that was attached to the office. The two unceremoniously tumbled to the floor, in front of the toilet - just in time for two tanned hands to weakly grasp the edge of the bowl, and abruptly empty the contents of his stomach into it.

The captain felt completely useless. His beloved was clearly in distress, yet he could do nothing other than rub soothing circles on his back. Ichigo continued to throw up until dry wretched over the toilet a few times, tears pricking at his eyes as he did so. The teen felt completely drained and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stay upright. He started to fall forwards, but a pair of lithe arms shot around his waist, steadying him. The firey teen felt himself being pulled backwards and Hitsugaya settled him in an upright position against the wall. Chocolate eyes cracked open, searching for his lover.

'Toshi...'

'Yeah, I'm here. Are you in pain?' teal eyes brimming with concern as the captain stood to get Ichigo a glass of water. Ichigo shook his head - much to Hitsugaya's relief. The captain knelt down next to his beloved and pressed a cool glass of water into his hand, but didn't let go.

'Can you hold it?'

'Y-Yeah... I think...' one tanned hand tried to lift the glass, but in the end, he was shaking too much. Hitsugaya hid the worried look on his face, smiling at his lover, taking the glass from him.

'Here. Let me...'

Hitsugaya lifted the glass to his lovers cracked lips, trying to coax the water into his mouth. After a few tries, the snowy captain succeeded in getting the water down.

'Mmm...' Ichigo groaned slightly in protest, not wanting to drink any more - his lids started to droop, his body relaxing as he started to fall asleep.

'Come on. Can you stand? I assume you don't want to sleep here.' Ichigo gave him a worn-out nod as the captain slipped an arm around the firey teen's waist, hauling him to his feet. He supported his lover all the way to the sofa, feeling Ichigo getting weaker with every step. The snowy captain's gut twisted at the thought of Ichigo being incapacitated. In the years that they had been together, Hitsugaya had never seen his lover like this. Out of the two of them, Ichigo had always been the strong one, the pillar of support. To see him like this actually terrified the tiny captain more than words could say. When they reached the couch, Ichigo sagged in Hitsugaya's hold - panicing the captain - falling straight towards the cushions. The snow crowned boy helped the firey teen lie down, cradling his head in one dainty hand so the teen would not injure himself. Once he was settles, Hitsuagay briskly walked over to his desk and carried the chair over to the small cupboard. Pride be damned, he climbed onto the seat, triumphantly grasping the blanket on the top shelf. He softly stepped of the chair and padded over to his lover. Chocolate were still open - barely - in a valiant effort to stay concious for his frosty lover. Seeing this, Hitsugaya smiled gently, draping a blanket over his beloved's prone form.

'Sleep, Ichigo...' he said, settling himself on the sofa, his lover's head in his lap. Pale fingers ran through the orange mop, trying to soothe his lover - in the years that they had been together, Hitsugaya had learnt that one of the only things that would relax his brash lover was stroking his hair. When he had found this out, the frosty captain didn't know whether to be amused or not. Afterall, this was _the_ Ichigo Kurosaki. Who would have guessed that he would have been soothed by something so seemingly trivial. The snowy captain kept his gaze locked on his lover's pallid face, seeing the teen's eyes slowly disappearing behind his eyelids.

'I'm sorry...' Ichigo mumbled.

'Don't apologise for being ill, moron.' Hitsugaya softly reprimanded.

'You shouldn't have to put up with this...'

'Shut up.' Hitsugaya snapped, almost harshly - but then his tone changed to soft and loving 'After all those time you've looked after me when I've been ill, this is the least I can do.

'Thanks, Toshi... Love you...' Ichigo trailed off as chocolate eyes disappeared from view, slipping into a peaceful slumber. A warm smile, that was saved for only Ichigo, adorned the prodigy's face. Hitsugaya leant down and pressed a soft kiss to Ichigo's parched lips.

'I love you too...' he whispered. Then, just because he could: 'Idiot...'

* * *

**Taa-daa :)**

**Whaddya think? Please review - that's the only way these stories are going to get better. Also, I'm open to requests, so if you want a particular story written then just drop me an inbox or whatever :)**

**Izumi out :D**


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